A Perfect Harmony
by thehalfblondeprincess
Summary: Harry/Hermione during 6th year
1. Chapter 1

Hermione looked up from her book and smiled. She uncurled her legs and swung them off the bed, then remembered her night-table was on the left side now. She switched her position, got up, and took the few steps to the window where she saw Hedwig waiting for her.

Hermione had switched beds with Parvati shortly after they had arrived back at school, mainly because the other girls had grown tired of hearing the floorboards creak as she crossed the dormitory late at night to answer her notes from Harry. Lavender and Parvati were sure she was keeping up correspondence with Viktor Krum, but she had let him go during the summer entering 5th year. Now she was nearly 17 years old and having a secret relationship with yet another celebrity. She didn't TRY to go for the famous types; Krum was really a rather nice guy after she had gotten to know him and looked past his "rugged" qualities the other girls found attractive and she found revolting.

But Harry Potter was a very different person altogether. Hermione had known him for years, of course, but it wasn't until towards the end of their 5th year that she really began to notice him. Just after last Easter, he had started spending a lot more time in the library studying for O.W.L.s. Ron really couldn't care less about his O.W.L.s (he was too busy wrapped in Seamus' arms anyway), so Harry and Hermione usually had a table to themselves. And that was how the whole thing started.

It was the little things about him that had began to catch her attention. The way his eyes flicked back and forth when he was at a loss for what to say next. His eyes in general, really. The bottle-green pigment really stood out against his pale complexion, and contrasted well with his sweetly messy black hair. It was also the way he smiled that had managed to give Hermione a girlish flutter in her heart she had never experienced before. It was always a shy smile, too. That was what really got her; the way he would just smirk a bit, as though he was trying to tease her. They were such close friends, and now that they had this secret affair, their bond was all the more special.

Hermione unlatched the window and opened it out. A disgruntled Hedwig flew in and perched herself on the headboard, where she stuck out her leg to give Hermione the tightly furled piece of parchment she had delivered. Eager as Hermione was to read Harry's latest, she took the time to peer out the window at the Hogwarts grounds. It really was beautiful, and all the more so because she had someone to share it with. Her mind lingered back to the time spent near the lake, just talking and laughing and knowing how much one cared for the other, until her thoughts were interrupted as Hedwig hooted to catch Hermione's attention.

"Shh!" Hermione hissed as she rushed back over to Hedwig. The owl was so impatient because instead of hunting for the past fortnight, she'd been flying from one side of Gryffindor tower to the other several times a night to deliver one or two lines of writing between Harry and Hermione. They were used to the short forms of nonspoken communication from the summer, when Harry had managed to get his hands on an old cell phone of Dudley's. Hermione had convinced her parents to get her a phone as a coming-home gift, and the pair had text-messaged from June until August. When they got back to Hogwarts, though, the phones were retired. With all the magic in the air, the phones wouldn't work. "Hogwarts, a History" was correct, as always.

Hermione untied the scroll from Hedwig's leg and was about to open it when Hedwig clicked her beak as yet another reminder to Hermione. She rolled her eyes and opened the night-table cabinet, where there was a box of owl treats, perhaps the only reason Hedwig still delivered for the lovestruck teenagers. Hermione offered Hedwig a treat, she took it graciously and stuck out her leg. Eager to read Harry's note, Hermione pushed the cabinet door shut without much thought. BANG! The door slammed closed, making a noise loud enough to wake the Slytherins in the dungeons. She anxiously glanced around the dormitory, hoping to Merlin no one had been disturbed by the noise. Lavender stirred and muttered something that resembled "Neville", but other than that, all was calm. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief and grinned at what Lavender could be dreaming about. She glanced at her bedside clock illuminated by moonlight and realized with shock that it was nearly 2 o'clock in the morning. She had to be awake to study for Ancient Runes in 4 hours! Hermione open the window for Hedwig and placed Harry's scroll on top of her book. She'd have to catch up with him at breakfast tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey, 'Mione." Harry sat down in his usual seat at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. "I never got your last-" Hermione shot him a warning glance as Dean sat down, shortly followed by Parvati "...page of History of Magic notes." Harry improvised.

"I'll give it to you in the Common Room before Potions." Hermione hinted, hoping Harry would pick up on wanting to spend their morning break together.

"But Hermione, your bag is right-"

"I'm OUT of BACON!" Ron cut off his sister, his first words after having eaten both his and Seamus' shares of breakfast foods. Thankful for the cover of Ron and Ginny's squabbling, Harry and Hermione resumed their chat.

"Sorry about not answering you last night, I had to study." said Hermione, her Ancient Runes book propped against her glass of pumpkin juice as usual, as she had been reading before Harry came along.

"You are completely mad." said Harry. He took the book from her and put it in his bag. "You're the most brilliant witch at Hogwarts, probably in all of Britian, if not the world. Please, just relax! We haven't spoken in ages!"

Hermione grumped. "Aren't we speaking just now?" but she was trying to mask her smile from Harry's compliment.

Harry loved her face. Everything from her exasperation with Quidditch to her bright, beautiful smile when she laughed, everything about her was perfect. Even during their first year, when she did happen to be remarkably annoying, there was still a certain quality about her that Harry really liked. It may have been her focus on things that made her brow crinkle in the cutest way, or even her bushy brown hair that somehow just looked right on her. As an eleven-year-old, Harry couldn't quite place his feelings back then, but when he finally realized Hermione was more than just a friend to him, she felt the same way. Now she was all his, and they were extraordinarily happy together.  
>Keeping it a secret was the only downside, though. Sure, it added a little more romance with the sneaking around, late-night owls, and stolen kisses, but they both just wanted to hold hands and be together like normal people.<p>

However, the reasons they simply just couldn't were endless. The press, for one. Hermione couldn't care less what Rita Skeeter or some other bitchy reporter wrote about her, but Harry was much too protective of her to let that happen. It was bad enough when Malfoy or someone else with no respect for anyone other than himself called her 'Mudblood'. Harry had always managed to keep his temper, but had gotten revenge later on. Malfoy's cauldron had melted? That was no accident. Pumkin juice splattered on his robes? A simple levitation charm with a flick of the wrist from across the Great Hall. Sure, it wasn't the most honorable thing to do, but it was better than Ron's immediate reaction to Malfoy by way of violence and curses.

Ron was the only person who knew about Harry and Hermione. He had found our by accident over the summer. They were all staying at The Burrow, and Mrs. Weasley had given Ron the job of cleaning out the chicken coop while Harry and Hermione were to be cleaning the upstairs. Harry had had so much practice with Muggle cleaning, they finished in no time. The couple decided to take advantage of Ron's currently empty room, and had spent at least half an hour holding hands and kissing, which Harry certainly wouldn't have felt comfortable doing with anyone else. With Cho, it had been awkward and nerve-wracking, but with Hermione it felt like the most natural thing in the world. She loved the romance of their intertwined fingers, and he loved the feeling of her lips pressed against his, their bodies close enough that he could feel her heartbeat as if it were his own. Nearly breathless with their passion, and forgetting that they were in a house with 7 other people, things began to heat up. Their hands were no longer clasped together but roaming around each other's bodies when Ron pushed the door open, bad-tempered and covered in chicken feathers.

"BLOODY FUCKING HELL, YOU TWO. OF ALL THE PLACES TO SNOG EACH OTHER, YOU CHOSE MY FUCKING BEDROOM? WHAT THE HELL, MATE!" The yelling was mostly directed at Harry, because Hermione had sat down on Ron's bed, looking as though she had been petrified as a steady blush crept across her face. Once Ron had gotten over the initial shock of finding his best friends making out in his room, he realized something else.

"Why were you two snogging in the first place? You aren't...oh Merlin..." Ron sank down next to Hermione. "Ugh," he grimaced, "As long as I don't find you two in my bed or anything." So, this was yet another secret between the three best friends.

They had a very difficult time keeping the secret from Ginny, though. Hermione was all for treating her, it would have made their summer a lot easier, but Harry flatly refused.

"What's going to happen when Ginny tells Luna? Or Dean?" Seamus he didn't mind quite so much, as he WAS dating Ron, but still. It was one of the only things Harry and Hermione ever really fought about, and it still was nowhere near the bickering Ron and Hermione still did sometimes. Harry and Hermione's brief squabbles always ended in snuggles and kisses, something Ron was definitely not interested in. Nonetheless, the trio was very happy together.


	3. Chapter 3

"I hate this. I really hate this." Harry and Ron were holding Quidditch tryouts for the Gryffindor team. Well, Harry was holding the tryouts. Ron had secured his spot on the team earlier, but he had stuck around to help his friend. He had regretted this decision almost immediately after he had realized that Chaser positions were much more popular than Keeper; there were still a few dozen Gryffindors queued up with high hopes.

"Suck it up," Harry said, "we need to get through these." At least half of the past hour had been spent ordering people off the pitch. "For the _last time_!" Harry bellowed, "If you don't have a broomstick or aren't a member of Gryffindor house, you need to leave immediately!" He glanced in the direction of some first-year Hufflepuffs and they scattered.

"Unbelievable," Ron muttered. Harry sighed. He had so many things to do. He had decided to hold tryouts on a Hogsmeade weekend, in hopes that only those who were serious about Quidditch would show up. Unfortunately, a bunch of first and second years, having no place in particular to go, had decided to waste Harry's time. Hermione was having tea with Hagrid and Buckbeack, Harry was running low on owl treats and ink, not to mention — "Hey, mate, what are you planning for 'Mione's birthday?" Shit. A look of panic appeared on Harry's face.

"…but, but it's only…Harry's mind flashed back to the calendar in his dormitory. The 22nd. "Oh, Merlin's fucking pants!"

"Harry!" Ron cringed as the Quidditch hopefuls swiveled around to gawk at Harry, who was now anxiously running his hands through his already messy hair.

"A week! I only have a week!" Harry groaned.

"Relax!" Ron cried. Then, looking as if he would regret this very much, he said "Look, I'll take care of Quidditch with Ginny. Go…go into Hogsmeade or something."

Harry grinned and let a huge sigh of relief escape him. "Ron, you're the best! I could kiss you!"

"Don't," Ron advised. "Just bring me back some Honeydukes chocolate or something!" Ron called after him but before he ventured into Hogsmeade, he needed the help of a certain house-elf…

"Dobby is most honored Harry Potter wants his help, sir! Dobby will most gladly assist you with whatever you need, Harry Potter, sir!" Dobby trotted alongside Harry as they came up from the kitchens into the hallway, climbing a flight of stairs to enter the Entrance Hall.

"And you're sure you can leave the castle, Dobby?"

"Dobby is a free elf and he can pass where he pleases!" he said, even as a spasm flickered through him when they passed through the doors.

"Yes, well," said Harry. "Get on my back," he muttered, keeping an eye on Filch and his precious Secrecy Sensor. With Dobby in tow under his Invisibility Cloak, Harry climbed the iron fence and quickly set off for Hogsmeade. There wasn't time to use the passage to Honeydukes, and Harry didn't feel much like squeezing himself through the tunnel anyway; he had grown quite a bit since his 3rd year.

"So, Harry Potter has a girlfriend, sir?" Harry smiled ever so slightly as his heart gave the familiar leap, due to the fact that Hermione Granger was his _girlfriend_. "Miss Granger is lovely, sir! Always so kind to elves!"

"Yeah, I…" Harry paused. He loved Hermione, she was his closest friend. But in that context was a lot less terrifying than thinking about telling the most amazing, most beautiful girl he had ever met that, that he loved her. He was sure he loved her, but to say it would put so much of his emotions in the open. Never in living memory had he said those three words. After all, he had grown up in a house with more hatred towards him than he would ever care to think about again. Would his mouth even know how to form the words? He shook his head to clear his now-clouded mind. "Well, there were a few things I was thinking of," he said to Dobby.

"Like what? Dobby will be happy to help with anything!"

"Good, I'll definitely need it." As they ducked into an alley between two buildings, and Dobby hopped off his back, Harry glanced around and threw the cloak in his bag as they set off. "I want to plan something for her that will truly show her how much I —" Harry's throat stuck again. Damn. When would he be able to man up and just do it? He knew he felt this way, he had known it for a long time. But maybe talking to her wasn't the way to tackle this one. He needed to get creative. "Right, Dobby. Can you take this to the stationary shop down the street?" asked Harry as he scribbled something down on a piece of parchment from his bag and tearing it into 7 different pieces. "Can you get each section printed on a different bookmark?" His mind trailed back to Seamus' latest lecture on color schemes. "A pale blue with brown ink, maybe?"

"Yes, sir, Harry Potter, sir!" Dobby began to scamper in the opposite direction.

"Meet me at Honeydukes in half an hour!" called Harry. His next stop was the bookstore.


End file.
